Safety device for locking a missile on its launcher or in its container in either the transport or the launching position

ABSTRACT

A safety device for locking a missile either in the transport position in its container, or in the firing position on its launcher, in which means maintains electric circuit for energizing the missile propellant igniters short-circuited as long as the missile is not in a condition to be fired, and actuating means with movable restraining means permitting to fetch the missile from an initial locking position to a final retracted position and latching said movable means in their final retracted position.

United States Patent [191 Stauff et al.

[ lMarch 20, 1973 [54] SAFETY DEVICE FOR LOCKING A MISSILE ON ITSLAUNCHER OR IN ITS CONTAINER IN EITHER THE TRANSPORT OR THE LAUNCHINGPOSITION [75] Inventors: Emile Stauff, Versailles; Michel Mare'e,Chilly-Mazarin; Jacques Roze des Ordons, Paris, all of France [73]Assignee: Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatialle, Paris, France 22Filed: Feb. 19,1971

[21] Appl.No.: 116,959

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 23, 1970 France ..70064ll[52] US. Cl ..89/1.807, 89/l.814 [51] Int. Cl. ..F41f 3/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..89/l.806, l R, 1 B, 1.807, 89/l.814

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,751,818 6/1956 Bonnett..89/1 .807 2,788,712 4/1957 Kuller et a1 .....89/l.807 3,331,278 7/1967Brown ..89/l R Primary Examiner-Samuel W Engle Attorney-Karl W. Flocks[5 7] ABSTRACT A safety device for locking a missile either in thetransport position in its container, or in the firing position on itslauncher, in which means maintains electric circuit for energizing themissile propellant igniters short-circuited as long as the missile isnot in a condition to be fired, and actuating means with movablerestraining means permitting to fetch the missile from an initiallocking position to a final retracted position and latching said movablemeans in their final retracted position.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures J PATENTEDMARZOIQYS. 3.721.155

SHEET 10F 2 9 5 2 e; SP L FIGS INVENTORS EMILE STAUFF MICHEL MAREEJACQUES ROZE DES ORDONS BY W A TTORNE) SAFETY DEVICE FOR LOCKING AMISSILE ON ITS LAUNCHER OR IN ITS CONTAINER IN EITHER THE TRANSPORT ORTHE LAUNCHING POSITION The present invention relates to a safety devicefor looking a missile on its launcher or in its container, irrespectiveof whether the missile is in the transport or launching position.

It is well-known that any missile, be it inside its container or on itslauncher, must be effectively and reliably restrained in order to fullysafeguard its opera tors.

In particular, therefore, the locking system used to that end rnustrigorously interdict accidental igniting of the propulsion systems, andthis not only until the firing command has been given but also until therestraining mechanism has completely retracted and been latched in itsretracted position.

Accordingly, any locking system designed to provide the above safeguardsmust have the following features:

Its mechanism must have faultless efficacy and reliability.

It must be capable of short-circuiting the igniters used for the missilepropellants, in order notably to protect the same against magneticeffects due to environmental phenomena.

It must be capable of opening or short-circuiting the firing circuitsthrough the agency of the missile restraining element for as long as thelatter is maintained in the locking position.

It must be capable of re-making the circuits to the igniters used forthe propellants by setting the missile restraining element in thereleased position, and must do so directly without recourse to anintermediate element.

It must be capable of causing the firing circuits to be closed solely byvirtue of the fact that the missile restraining element is in itsreleased position and held therein.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a locking devicewhich possesses the above-mentioned features, that is to say whichprovides, when in its locking position, safe latching of the missile onits launcher or in its container irrespective of whether the missile isin the transport or launching position, and, when latched in itsretracted position, all the electrical contacts required forsatisfactory firing of the missile.

Essentially, a safety latching device according to this invention ischaracterized by the fact that it includes a mechanical restrainingmechanism capable of occupying: either an initial locking positionwherein it restrains the missile, breaks the electric circuit forenergizing the missile propellant igniters, which circuit isadditionally short-circuited; or, responsively to an actuatingmechanism, a final retracted position wherein it is completely clear ofthe path of the missile, cancels the short circuit and closes theigniter energizing circuit, means being provided for latching therestraining mechanism in both its initial and final positions, the meansfor latching the restraining mechanism in its final retracted positionbeing so devised as to allow the current for igniting the missilepropulsion system to pass only if said restraining mechanism iseffectively in its unlatched position, whereby safe operation isensured, on the one hand by the fact that accidental firing due to anenvironmental magnetic field or unwanted energization of the igniters isprevented and, on the other, by the fact that the restraining mechanismis retracted and latched in that position throughout the missileblast-off phase.

Further particularities and advantages of the present invention willemerge from the description which follows of a possible embodiment of asafety locking device according to the invention, given with referenceto the accompanying non-limitative exemplary drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a locking deviceaccording to the invention, the component parts of its mechanism beingdepicted in the initial locking position; '7 V V 7' FIG. 2 is across-sectional side elevation view corresponding to FIG. 1 but in whichthe component parts of the mechanism are depicted in the final retractedposition;

FIG. 3 is a detail plan view of the end of the printed circuit providingthe electrical circuitry, in the position it occupies when the mechanismis in its initial locking configuration;

FIG. 4 is a detail view corresponding to that of FIG. 3 but in which theend of the printed circuit is shown in the position it occupies when themechanism is in its final retracted configuration; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory electrical diagrams showing the electricalconnections which are made when the mechanism is in its locking andretracted positions respectively.

The locking device illustrated in the accompanying drawings basicallyincludes a restraining mechanism which in the exemplary embodiment shownis formed by a cylindrical locking pin 1 made of high tensile steel andcapable of sliding along its longitudinal axis xx through a housinggenerally designated by reference numeral 2 which is secured by anyconvenient means to a boss 3,, with which the missile container orlauncher 3 is provided to that end. The boss 3,, is formed with a bore 4through which the locking pin 1 extends in such manner that the head 1,,thereof be capable, when the pin is in its upper locking position shownin FIG. 1, of engaging into a lodging 5 provided for the purpose inmissile 6. The missile is accordingly restrained along two mutuallyperpendicular axes which are horizontal in the case of FIG. 1, and themissile is further restrained along the third axis, namely along thelocking-pin axis xx by an additional thrust exerted on the missile andschematically portrayed on the drawing by the arrows F Housing 2 isformed in its middle part with an annular flange 7 which bounds twoseparate compartments, to wit an upper compartment 2; containingelectrical contacts to which more detailed reference will be madehereinafter, and a lower compartment 2 through which locking pin 1 isguided and which is accordingly formed with a cylindrical abutment 8capable of sliding within compartment 2, after the fashion of a pistonthrough a cylinder, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.

Further, locking pin 1 is provided over its middle portion with a sleeve9 made of insulating material which is an exact fit through annularflange 7, and abutment 8 is provided with a seal 8,,. A fluid-tightchamber is thus formed which communicates through an orifice 11 with agas generator which is preferably a pyrotechnic system generallydesignated by reference numeral 12 and to which further reference willbe made hereinbelow.

Pin 1 is restrained in the locking position of FIG. 1 by a shear-pin 13which is inserted both through the wall of compartment 2, and intopiston 8.

Provided in the upper housing compartment 2 on insulating member 14, arespring contacts 15 electrically connected to a flexible printed-circuit16 which provides the overall electric circuitry and which shortcircuitsthe missile igniters for as long as the missile remains locked by pin 1,in the manner to be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

It should be noted, further, that when pin 1 is in the missile lockingposition, the moving portions of spring contacts 15 bear against theinsulating sleeve 9, whereby the current supplies to printed circuit 16.as schematized by the arrow F are cut off.

Insulating sleeve 9 carries on its upper end contacts 17 which, as willbe explained later, close the feed circuits when pin 1 descends into theretracted position.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 3, on which are shown the inputs e e and e,and the outputs s s and s the igniters are short-circuited by the end 16A of flexible printed-circuit 16. This end 16,, is retained between thelower base of housing compartment 2, and a cover 18 secured by anyconvenient means. The cover 18 is formed with a central hole 19 forreceiving the lower end of locking-pin 1 when the same is in its bottomposition, and with a lodging 20 made of hard insulating material andforming, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter, a stampingdie which is caused to cut off the end 16,, of the printed circuitresponsively to piston 8 (likewise made of insulating material) as thelocking-pin l descends.

It will be appreciated that in the upper position shown in FIGS. 1, 3and 5:

the pin 1 is in the locking position and restrains the missile 6 on itslauncher or container 3 by virtue of the mechanical restraint exerted byits head 1,, in lodging 5;

the pin 1 is itself latched in the locking position by the mechanicalrestraint exerted by shear-pin 13;

the contacts 15 bear against insulating sleeve 9 of locking pin 1,whereby the igniter energizing circuit is open, thus providing aneffective safeguard against accidental energization; and

the flexible printed-circuit 16 is itself effective in short-circuitingthe circuit leading to the igniters, thereby providing an additionalsafeguard against accidental energization, and protection againstelectro-magnetic effects.

" It is important to note that, because the short-circuiting is done bythe printed-circuit itself, all other connections such as welds,crimpings or other joining means offering imprecisely known andessentially variable contact resistance can be dispensed with. The shortcircuit is consequently highly dependable since its ohmic value dependssolely on the geometric and electrical characteristics of theprinted-circuit conductor.

To release the mechanism, all that is necessary is to ignite the gasgenerator 12.

Subsequent to such ignition, the pressure developed by the gas inchamber 10 is exerted against the piston 8 of locking-pin 1 and producesan axial force on locking-pin 1 which shears the pin 13 into two parts13 13 and drives pin 1 downward. This movement of locking-pin 1 results(see FIGS. 2, 4 and 6) in mechanically releasing missile 6 throughretraction from the flight path of all elements connected to the missilewhen the latter blasts off; in the end 16,, of the printed-circuit beingout between the insulating portion of piston 8 and the stamping-dieforming part 20 of cover 18; and in arresting the pin against the bottomof cover 18.

It may be seen that in this released position shown in FIG. 2:

the pin 1 is in the fully retracted position, whereby missile 6 ismechanically unrestrained;

the end 16,, of the printed circuit is cut in accordance with thediagram shown in FIG. 4, the effect of which is to eliminate theshort-circuit protecting the propellant igniters; and

the moving contacts 15 bear against their counterparts 17 carried on thesleeve 9 of pin 1, whereby the circuit energizing the igniters isclosed; in this configuration the electrical connections are as shown inFIG. 6.

It is important to note that pin 1 is restrained in the retractedposition by the spring contacts 15 bearing against a shoulder 9,, formedon insulating sleeve 9 and projecting outwardly in relation to contacts17.

This non-return device for pin 1, provided by the contacts themselves,can be further improved by damping any tendency of the pin to reboundwhen it is arrested, for example by means of a lead plate (not shown).

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the overall system iscompletely safeguarded since in the event that the pin 1, after shearingits restraining pin 13 and the printed-circuit 16,,, were able torebound into a position such that a portion thereof hindered launchingof the missile, the firing command could not be transmitted to theigniters. This is because, in such position of the locking-pin, thecontacts 15 for closing the energizing circuit would be unable toregister with the counterpart contacts 17 carried by the firing-pin.

If this were to occur, the missile would be in the releasedconfiguration and would have to be handled with care, abandoned ordestroyed, but in any event could not be launched under conditionsrepresenting a hazard for the operator.

It goes without saying that many changes and substitutions could be madein the preferred exemplary embodiment hereinbefore described, withoutdeparting from the-scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

We claim: I

1. A safety device for locking a missile having an electrically ignitedpropulsion system, either in the transport position on' its container orin the firing position on its launcher, comprising, in combination:

an electric circuit for energizing the missile propellant ignitersincluding short-circuiting means for maintaining said energizing circuitshort-circuited for as long as the missile is not in a condition to befired,

and switch means for making and breaking said enersaid short-circuitingmeans being a printed circuit gizing system; positioned by shearing bysaid movable means movable means for mechanically restraining themiswhen said movable means moves to its final sile n its pp capable ofpy ng either of retracted position to cancel the short-circuit t StablePOSIUOHS; 5 produced by said short-circuiting means. said movable meanshaving an initial locking position 3 A safety ki d i as l i d i lai 2,

wherein said movable means restrains the missile f th characterized band maintains said switch means in the circuit Said movable means havinga piston portion hi h breaking position; passes through saidshort-circuiting means. and said movable means having a final retractedl0 A Safety locking device as Claimed in claim 3,

position wherein said movable means fully clears further characterizedby the of th e.missil,e along its i f l said actuating means beingpyrotechnic means to releases said energizing circuit short-circuitmgform a gas operating against said piston portion. means and moves saidswitch means into the make 5 A Safety locking device as claimed in claim1 posluonl 1 further characterized by actuating means for moving saidmovable restraining said first latch means being a sheappin means fromits initial position to its final position; 6 A Safet lockin device asclaime'd in claim 5 first latch means to positively lock said movable yg further characterized by restraining means in its initial lockingposition for Said actuatin means bein rotechnic means as long as saidactuating means has not operated; 2O 7 A Safety i g ig claimed in Claim1 and f h h t db second latch means to positively lock said movable 6mac enze y said second latch means being movable contacts 7 restrainingmeans in its final retracted position i h 2. A safety locking device asclaimed in claim 1, Much form Swtc further characterized by

1. A safety device for locking a missile having an electrically ignitedpropulsion system, either in the transport position on its container orin the firing position on its launcher, comprising, in combination: anelectric circuit for energizing the missile propellant ignitersincluding short-circuiting means for maintaining said energizing circuitshort-circuited for as long as the missile is not in a condition to befired, and switch means for making and breaking said energizing system;movable means for mechanically restraining the missile on its support,capable of occupying either of two stable positions; said movable meanshaving an initial locking position wherein said movable means restrainsthe missile and maintains said switch means in the circuit breakingposition; and said movable means having a final retracted positionwherein said movable means fully clears the trajectory of the missilealong its launcher, releases said energizing circuit shortcircuitingmeans and moves said switch means into the make position; actuatingmeans for moving said movable restraining means from its initialposition to its final position; first latch means to positively locksaid movable restraining means in its initial locking position for aslong as said actuating means has not operated; and second latch means topositively lock said movable restraining means in its final retractedposition.
 2. A safety locking device as claimed in claim 1, furthercharacterized by said short-circuiting means being a printed circuitpositioned by shearing by said movable means when said movable meansmoves to its final retracted position to cancel the short-circuitproduced by said short-circuiting means.
 3. A safety locking device asclaimed in claim 2, further characterized by said movable means having apiston portion which passes through said short-circuiting means.
 4. Asafety locking device as claimed in claim 3, further characterized bysaid actuating means being pyrotechnic means to form a gas operatingagainst said piston portion.
 5. A safety locking device as claimed inclaim 1, further characterized by said first latch means being ashear-pin.
 6. A safety locking device as claimed in claim 5, furthercharacterized by said actuating means being pyrotecHnic means.
 7. Asafety locking device as claimed in claim 1, further characterized bysaid second latch means being movable contacts which form said switchmeans.